Memorial Planned for Chehalis Police Dog Reign

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A memorial service for Chehalis Police Department K9 Reign will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 25, at W.F. West High School. 

Any law enforcement officials wishing to participate in the processional should be at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds by 9 a.m.

Reign died on June 27 during an on-duty training exercise from a sudden and unexplained medical event. He was a Belgian Malinois that was about 5 years old and had been on active duty with the Chehalis Police Department since May 2013. His handler was Officer Warren Ayers.

The pair has been credited with multiple suspect apprehensions, article and evidence searches and “finding impressive quantities of narcotics,” according to the release.



The Chronicle reported on July 11 that the cause of death is still unknown after a local veterinarian and a veterinarian from Washington State University examined Reign’s body. The results of a test on a tissue sample and toxicology report are being waited on and will be made public once available. 

Despite working hard to protect their handler, find drugs and apprehend suspects, a police canine “really doesn’t ask for anything in return other than a pat on the back,” Chehalis Mayor and former Chehalis police chief Dennis Dawes said at the July 10 city council meeting. “ … They’re just hard to replace.”

Contact Officer Mike Bailey at the Chehalis Police Department at 360-748-8605 with any questions.